Tiger Stadium – Saturday Down Southhttp://www.saturdaydownsouth.com
Best Football - Best Fans - Best TailgatingFri, 09 Dec 2016 17:22:44 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.5.4SEC football stadiums by capacityhttp://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/2013/sec-football-stadiums-capacity/
http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/2013/sec-football-stadiums-capacity/#commentsWed, 01 May 2013 15:15:12 +0000http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/?p=20669With the news of Kyle Field looking to finally get a facelift and capacity expanded to 102,000, how does a 100,000-plus expansion stack up against current SEC stadium sizes?

Tennessee’s Neyland Stadium still seats the most with 102,455. Alabama’s Bryant-Denny Stadium is right behind Neyland with a capacity of 101,821.

LSU is also planning an expansion to get to the capacity of 100,000, and the SEC will have four stadiums that seat 100,000-plus in a few years.

All projected numbers have an expansion and/or facelift planned in the future. A Kentucky house bill approved bonding for a Commonwealth Stadium renovation of $110 million in February, but I haven’t seen any projected numbers for seating capacity yet.

Team

Stadium

Current

Projected

Tennessee

Neyland Stadium

102,455

NA

Alabama

Bryant-Denny Stadium

101,821

NA

Georgia

Sanford Stadium

92,746

NA

LSU

Tiger Stadium

92,400

100,000

Florida

Ben Hill Griffin Stadium

88,548

NA

Auburn

Jordan-Hare Stadium

87,451

NA

Texas A&M

Kyle Field

82,589

102,500

S. Carolina

Williams-Brice Stadium

80,250

NA

Arkansas

Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium

72,000

80,000

Missouri

Faurot Field

71,009

77,000

Kentucky

Commonwealth Stadium

67,692

NA

Ole Miss

Vaught-Hemingway Stadium

60,580

NA

Miss State

David Wade Stadium

55,082

61,337

Vanderbilt

Vanderbilt Stadium

40,350

NA

]]>http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/2013/sec-football-stadiums-capacity/feed/9Top 5 toughest SEC venues THIS seasonhttp://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/2012/sec-toughest-football-stadiums/
http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/2012/sec-toughest-football-stadiums/#commentsTue, 07 Aug 2012 21:20:33 +0000http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/?p=12853Remember when Florida’s Ben Hill Griffin Stadium was one of the scariest venues in the Southeastern Conference, a burial ground for ranked teams during the Steve Spurrier and Tim Tebow eras? How can we forget the six-digit fan totals at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville during the Philip Fulmer wonder years where checkerboard end zones mesmerized the opposition?

It’s going to take awhile for those concrete and brick monstrosities to summon their storied past. Heading into this season, the usual suspects head the list of SDS’ toughest SEC venues this fall with one program in the Top 5 that could play BCS buster in January with an unbeaten home slate.

5. Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium, Fayetteville: Between Reynolds and War Memorial, it’s tough to beat Arkansas away from home no matter what venue. Equipped with one of the country’s best quarterbacks in Tyler Wilson an arguably the SEC’s top 1-2 punch of Knile Davis and Ronnie Wingo in the backfield, the Razorbacks are going to be dominant on offense this season. As many as 80,000 can be heard screaming Woo Pig Sooie on gamedays. The LED “PigScreen” above the end zone is pretty neat and was the largest scoreboard at any stadium in the country when it was built in 2000.

4. Sanford Stadium, Athens: Between the hedges inside Georgia’s 92,700-seat, 82-year old mecca. A preseason East favorite on most accounts, Aaron Murray and Co. should have plenty to bark about at home this fall. They’ll be favored in all seven games behind scarlet and gray-clad fans hungry for an SEC title. The Georgia Dome on championship weekend could be another home game for the Bulldogs if they find success on separate road trips to Columbia, Mo. and Columbia, S.C.

3. Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, S.C.: A new gargantuan scoreboard. Sandstorm and 2001 blasting out the speakers. A renovated Farmer’s Market and fairgrounds. As far as looks are concerned, the Gamecocks are everything an 11-2 program should be. South Carolina has talent comparable to any team in the country at the necessary skill positions with a Hall of Fame coach on the home sideline. Outside of a road trip to Baton Rouge, all of the Gamecocks’ “swing” games this season are at home, setting up South Carolina nicely for a trip to Atlanta.

2. Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa: The second largest stadium in the SEC will be all amped up after another national championship. Not that the Crimson Tide faithful needed another reason to be any louder. Alabama will likely go 7-0 at Bryant-Denny with a reasonably soft league schedule by SEC standards. What happens away from Tuscaloosa — notably at Arkansas and at LSU — will determine Alabama’s fate.

1. Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge: Eight home games with at least five guaranteed under the lights. That’s a scary proposition for opponents heading down to the Bayou this season. The preseason conference favorites are tough to beat at home and nearly untouchable at night behind the strength of 92,500 fans. South Carolina’s trip to the Honey Badger’s Lair on Oct. 13 could derail the Gamecocks’ national championship hopes. The same goes for the Crimson Tide on Nov. 3. That first Saturday in November likely decides the BCS champion front-runner.

The suits in the television business make these decisions, and every SEC football fan should be upset. For the first time since 1935, there will not be an SEC night game at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge. The remaining schedule was announced yesterday and the top ranked LSU Tigers will have to play their 4 home games against SEC opponents while the sun is shining in Baton Rouge. Here are the times:

Kentucky on October 1 – Won 35-711:21 am CT

Florida on October 8 – Won 41-112:30 pm CT

Auburn on October 222:30 pm CT

Arkansas on November 251:30 pm CT

It’s one of the best traditions in the Southeastern Conference and not one time this season with an SEC opponent in town will we hear prior to the game the famed “Ladies and gentlemen, it’s Saturday night in Death Valley.” Who’s against this scheduling by the TV stations?

Voice your opinion & sign our petition:

Watch these videos about Saturday Night in Death Valley:

]]>http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/2011/lsu-tiger-stadium-sec-night-games/feed/6SEC Football’s Toughest Venueshttp://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/2011/toughest-sec-stadiums/
http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/2011/toughest-sec-stadiums/#commentsFri, 29 Jul 2011 12:00:45 +0000http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/?p=6859The SEC is home to some of the more incredible stadiums in college football. Check that – we have the best stadiums in the country, from the venues to the people and finally the tailgating. It doesn’t get any better.

The toughest venues for an SEC road game most always has a top-tier game day experiences associated with it, but even the less tough venues have some incredible game day experiences (look no further than Ole Miss).

Here is a ranking of the toughest venues to play a road game in SEC Football:

Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville kicks off our countdown of the toughest (or least tough) SEC road game venues. While the 39,790 capacity crowd might not create a buzz, the game day atmosphere is buzzing because you are in the heart of Music City. I mean, let’s be honest, teams look forward to a road game at Vanderbilt because it will give them a week feeling they are physically more of a dominant team than the Dores, and the impending game with the Dores gives the team a great chance to get out unblemished. The stadium is rarely ever full, with the visiting team having more fans than the home team. Such is life at Vanderbilt…While the tailgating at Ole Miss is superb, the scare factor of the actual game in Vaught-Hemmingway Stadium is minimal. The fans often stay in The Grove for the duration of the game and never make it inside. Therefore, the crowd can be into it at kickoff, but let’s face it – there hasn’t been much to cheer about for a couple of years now in Oxford. It seats 60,580 fans, but the capacity crowds dwindle when you’re under .500…Commonwealth Stadium is home to the Kentucky Wildcats on the gridiron. UK is a beautiful campus with great facilities, but it’s not that tough of a venue to play in on the road. It has the potential to be loud if more football fans would rise up in Lexington and suppress the basketball fans…yeah right.

Davis Wade Stadium is home to the very loud cowbells and the home team Mississippi State Bulldogs. The stadium itself is looking to get a facelift in the near future, with State trying to raise some cash for expansion. The stadium now seats 55,082 people who are not allowed to shake their cowbell at will anymore. It puts a damper on the overall noise level, but nonetheless, it is a great venue to watch a football game. This stadium is becoming more of a home field advantage all the time for the Bulldogs…Razorback Stadium is an Astroturf facility in Fayetteville that is a tough place to play a football game. The Woo Pig Sooie cheer vibrates your inners when 76,000 crazy Hog fans are screaming it. It is a beautiful stadium and becoming a tougher place to play on the road. I think the key is Fayetteville is so far from everything else, only the die-hards stick around…Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia is becoming a tougher venue to play at now, especially with the increased in talent that is on campus. Sandstorm will be blaring again this year, and if the stadium ain’t swaying, the Gamecocks aren’t playing. Fans will be loud and proud in Williams-Brice this season.

Neyland Stadium used to be one of the most feared places to play a football game on the road, with the Vol-faithful uncontrollably excited to see their team run out the Power T. However, since the end of the Fulmer heydays, this stadium has not been feared because either everyone has a hard time showing up for the games or they leave before the game is over. Neyland is getting an upgrade as we speak, and it is always a great venue to watch a football game; truly a great setting…Sanford Stadium in the heart of Bulldog country is home to the field “between the hedges”. It is one of the best venues in the country to watch a football game because it screams SEC Football. However, with the Dawgs being vastly suppressed over the last couple of years, the idea of playing at Sanford Stadium is not as daunting as it used to be…Jordan-Hare Stadium on The Plains at Auburn is a loud stadium and truly a tough place to play. It’s surreal before the game when the War Eagle flies before kickoff. It will send chills up anyone’s spine…even you, Harvey Updyke. This is one of the loudest stadiums, with 87,451 crazy fans screaming War Damn Eagle!

Bryant-Denny Stadium just got a facelift, and the newly renovated masterpiece in Tuscaloosa holds some of the best fans in college football who will be screaming “Roll Tide” at you all day long. The atmosphere is always buzzing, and now that it seats over 101,821 fans, it truly sucks to be an away opponent getting the “Rammer-Jammer” cheer rammed down your throats after you get beat. The history and tradition cannot be beat…Tiger Stadium, formally known as Death Valley, is one of the toughest venues to play a road game period, especially at night. LSU has won 77% of their night games since 1960, and I can imagine some of their success comes from their 90,000+ yelling purple and gold clad fans, including those drunk Swamp People…There is not a tougher venue than playing on the road in Gainesville at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. It was later referred to only as The Swamp by Steve Spurrier. The stadium is actually built in a hole, so it’s at a lower level than the elevation in which you enter. The fans are right on top of you – all 88,548 of them. It’s a crazy atmosphere, jorts and all, and it truly is one of the most recognized stadiums in the country. The Florida brand sells itself. Seeing The Swamp on game day should be on everyone’s bucket list. It could be quite possibly the toughest play to play a road game in America.

Photo from Icon SMI

]]>http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/2011/toughest-sec-stadiums/feed/6Tiger Stadium & Death Valley To Become Even More Deadly?http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/2011/lsu-tiger-stadium-possible-expansion/
http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/2011/lsu-tiger-stadium-possible-expansion/#respondWed, 15 Jun 2011 14:02:18 +0000http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/?p=6323

Photo from Icon SMI

The Tiger Athletic Foundation and LSU are looking closely at season ticket holders to gauge interest in expanding Tiger Stadium even more.

Currently, Death Valley seats 92,400, and by adding more seating, LSU could become even more deadly at home. The stadium is always sold out for SEC football games, so probing demand is imperative.

LSU is also talking about adding a club lounge in lower level seats that would be accessible to fans on the east sideline.